Robert Michulec

With the end of WWI, the military services of" the nations involved, set otit to sttidy and evaluate their combat experiences. One conclusion, above all, was evident - that mechanization would play an important role in any future conflicts. Frontline troops would utilize specialized vehicles to transport them into combat, arm them and keep them supplied. The main offensive weapon of the future would be the tank. Indeed, the concept of tank warfare was of such importance, that Germany was prohibited From developing her own armored force by the Treaty of Versailles. The tank had captured the imagination of military men the world over. I n the post war years, the doctrine of mechanized warfare was being slowly created and tested in exercises by the victors. Germany was forced to patiently sit back and wait, all the while studying the methods being developed by the other nations, primarily. Great Britain. There were two different philosophies on the employment of AFVs in combat. The first stemmed directly from the experiences of WWI, when tanks were used to storm enemy positions in support oi" the infantry. In this form, the tanks were subordinated to the infantry and provided the means by which the enemy position could be assaulted and occupied with a minimal number of casualties. The other philosophy dictated that tanks play the primary role, with all other weapons being subordinated to the armored force. The faster and more maneuverable tanks would be used in decisive assaults to break through at the point oi* least resistance and rampage through the enemy rear echelons, clisrupting communications and supplies and demoralizing their troops, while motorized infantry protected the tanks and consolidated the territorial gains. This was the doctrine to which fvlajor Heinz Guderian and other tank enthusiasts in the German Army subscribed.… (mehr)

Losses suffered by the Panzer-Divisions during die very long campaign during the lasl part of 1943 and the turn of 1944 were ery high, higher in fact than during Operation 'Citadel'. Retreating from Russia, the Panzer-Divisions lost not only those vehicles totally written off in combat, but also most of the damaged ones that could not be retrieved and repaired as the battlefield belonged to the enemy. On the Italian Front, the controlled withdrawal situation made recovery easier than on the Eastern Front as massive Soviet attacks often resulted in German positions being overrun.… (mehr)

Three new early production Sd.Kfz.263 radio vehicles parked near a rail siding in the spring of 1941 as 4.Panzer-Division was preparing for the invasion of the Soviet Union. The Sd.Kfz.263 was equipped with a long range radio set and was usually used by Nachrichten (signals) units and in Korps and Armee headquarters. They are protected with canvas covers around the crew compartment and on the telescoping mast antenna. The boxes hanging on the sides are metal containers for stick hand grenades. The nearest vehicle carries the license number WH-76694. Just above it can be seen the divisional emblem while on the opposite side of the radiator grille can be seen the tactical sign for a signals unit. This photo proves the usefulness of the canvas covers as evidenced by a fresh snowfall still in the spring of 1941. Note the square metal pennon frame on the front of the vehicle signifying a Korps HQ vehicle. In June 1941, 4.Panzer-Division was moved close to the Soviet-German border in the area of Brest-Litovsk with 3.Panzer-Division on their northern flank and 1.Kavallerie-Division on their southern flank.… (mehr)

In his previous volume, Robert Michulec examined the role of "Das Reich" in the invasion of France. This latest work provides an invaluable partner as it looks at the participation of "Das Reich", now established fully as a Waffen SS division, on the Eastern Front. The volume commences with a description of the "Das Reich" Division as it took part in Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union from 22 June 1941 onwards. What followed was a stunning series of victories that swept "Das Reich" and other German units across the vast Russian steppes to the very gates of Moscow. However, stiffening Soviet resistance and frigid winter conditions brought the momentum of the assault to a grinding and deadly halt. After refitting in France, the division returned to the Eastern Front and participated in combat in places like Kharkov and in the momentous Battle of Kursk in July 1943. After this, "Das Reich" was involved in the bitter retreat back to the borders of the Fatherland, including episodes such as the effort to relieve the Korsun Pocket, as well as combat in Hungary.

The book documents the waxing and waning fortunes of "Das Reich" in a rich collection of black and white photographs. Pictures show troops in the lead-up to the invasion of Russia, as well as in combat in the vast Soviet interior. These photos show troops, equipment and vehicles in all sorts of conditions from the summer dust to autumn mud and winter snow. For example, motorcycles, cars, trucks, antitank weapons and tanks all find a place between the covers. In this book from Concord Publications' Warrior series, the fighting man of "Das Reich" naturally remains the focus, and it gives some indication of the kind of hardships he endured on the Eastern Front.

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